Machine for indelibly marking values on checks



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

J. B. ROGERS 8: W. H. HALL. MACHINE FOR INDELIBLY MARKING VALUES 0NCHECKS.

No. 592,533. Patented 001;. 26,1897.

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(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2'.

J. B. ROGERS 8n W. H. HALL. MACHINE FOR INDBLIBLY MARKING VALUES 0NCHECKS.

No. 592,533. Patented Oct. 26,1897.

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NITED STATES JOHN B. ROGERS AND WILLIAM I-IAM. HALL, OF SAN FRANCISCO,CALIFORNIA.

MACHINE FOR INDELIBLY MARKING VALUES ON CHECKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 592,533, dated October26, 1897.

Application filed April '7, 1896. Serial No. 586,612. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN B. ROGERS and WILLIAM HAM. HALL, citizens ofthe United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco,State of California, have invented certain new and Improved Means forMarking Checks, Drafts, and Similar Papers to Protect the Same fromFraudulent Alteration, of which the following is a specification.

The following is a description of our invention, reference being made tothe accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which-Figure 1 is an illustration of a check marked by means of our invention.Fig. 2 shows in plan our device, the top case or cover, hammer, andprinting mechanism removed. Fig. 3 shows the lower portion of our devicein section and the upper portion, with hammer and printing mechanism, inside elevation. Fig. at shows a front elevation of our device, with aportion of the lower case broken out to better show the means for movingthe paper forward while being stamped.

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the differentfigures.

The object of our invention is to provide a new and simple means forimpressing upon the paper of checks, drafts, or similar documents innon-erasable characters the values of said documents.

By means of our invention the fiber of the paper is raised and brokensimilarly to the results obtained by a high embossing,and while notnecessarily puncturing or perforating the paper the process or operationdestroys the sizing, and the fiber is so stretched and raised as topresent a ragged surface which would rub up or tear if an attempt aterasure were made over it. In addition to this, as a further safeguardand to make the characters stand out boldly, the raised or brokensurface is printed or inked. The sizing being destroyed, the ink orcolor is readily absorbed by the broken fiber virtually penetrating thepaper, making erasure or alteration impossible.

Our device, as shown, consists of the circular plate a, carrying theraised characters b, mounted and made fast to a spindle c. whichindentures a.

has its lower bearing in the center column of the lower case cl.Directly above the plate a. and made fast thereto through the disk orfiller e is a thin spring-metal disk having flexible arms f, inshapesubstantially as shown and provided with perforations through thethickness of the arms f, forming the characters corresponding with theraised characters I) on the plate CL, and so arranged that when the armsf are depressed the perforations therein will close over and closelyengage the corresponding raised portions of the characters I).

The disk h, having stamped upon its upper face characters correspondingto and in position bearing fixed relation to those upon plate a and diskf, is made fast to the upper end of the spindle 0, providing a means forrotating the same, together with plate a and disks 6 and f, to bring anydesired character into position for use.

On the periphery of the plate at opposite each character or in fixedrelation thereto are A spring-lug 2' in the lower case d is so placed asto engage the indentures a as the plate a is rotated and holds the platein any desired position.

The upper case or cover j, with a column j bored to receive the upperportion of the spindle c, which extends upward through it, carries thehammer-arm j, provided with an indexj for the disk h. The hammer device,consisting of the hammer 7s, rod and cap 70 slides vertically in thehammer-arm j and can be depressed sufficiently to force a perforatedcharacter 9 on an arm of the disk f into engagement with itscorresponding raised character I) of the plate a. The hammer is returnedto and held in normal posi tion by the spiral spring Z. The projection dwithin the lower case cl provides a solid bearing beneath the hammer forthe plate a.

On either side of the hammer k and made fast thereto are drums m. Aninked ribbon at wound from'one drum to the other and passing beneath thehammer 7c furnishes an inking-surface for the hammer. Means forautomatically moving the ribbon may be provided, but are not shown orspecified.

The device for moving the paper forward upon the table-plate 0 consistsof the milled rollers p'and cog-Wheels 10, geared together and mountedupon spindles on either side within the front of the lower cased. A

ratchet-wheel p is mounted upon the spindle of one of the cog-wheelspand is rigidly connected with said cog-wheel. The leverq, with thespring-pawl q for engaging the teeth of the ratchet'pais mounted on thesame spindle with it and is held in normal or raised position by thespring The .arm 1", fastened to the hammer It, serves to depress thelever g at each downward stroke of the hammer. The pawl q, engaging theteethofthe ratchet p on the return stroke of the ieverq, actuates thewheels 19,19, and p and this motion is transmitted to the correspondingset of wheels 19 and p on the other side of the case by the cog-gear 19which is constantly in engagement with the cog-wheels p. The length ofthe'stroke' of the lever q is limited to the length of the slot 01 Thecarriage s, fastened to the upper case or cover 3' by the spring-arms s,carries the milled rollers 3 which are in engagement with the milledrollers 19, which extend through the table-plate 0, except when thecarriage s is raised to allow the insertion of the paper.

Theoperationfor stamping a check or draft is as follows: The carriagesis raised sufficiently to allow the-paper to be inserted between thetwo sets of milled rollers 19 and s \Vhen the paper is in the properposition upon the table-plate 0, the carriage s'is re-- leased and thepaper is held firmlybetween the milled rollers 19 and s Then by t urn-;

ing the disk h until the desired character thereon is opposite the indexj the 'corresponding character of the plate a and disk f is broughtintoposition beneath the hammer. 7c and held in place by the spring lug Thenby a sharp blow of the hand'upon the cap 10 the hammer is drivendownward against an arm of the disk f, forcing the perforated charactergfthereon into engagement with its corresponding raised characters bonthe plate a, thus forcing the paper through to the upper surface of thedisk f, which destroys the sizing and stretches and breaks Thep'aperthus forced up through the perforations of thejdi'sk'f is broughtinto contact with the inked ribbon'nthe fiber of the paper.

and is' thereby simultaneously colored or inked. mer, bymeans of the armr, depresses the lever q When the hammeris released, it is returned toits normal position by the spring.

Z. Thespri'ng g forces the lever q upward to itsfnormal position as thehammer is released, and the spring-pawl g engaging the teeth of theratchet-wheel p rotates the for another stamping.

The downward stroke of the hamtion beneath the hammer 7c and theoperation of stamping is repeated, and so on in like manner until allthe desired characters are stamped upon the paper, when it may beremoved by raising the carriage 5. Adjustable guide-blocks may befastened upon the table-plate 0 to insure the proper alinement ofimpressed characters.

A cam-lever might be used to better advanrage for actuating the hammer.WVe do not limit'ourselves to any special device for this purpose; also,as regards plate a and disk f they may be arranged in several ways, sothat the characters of each will stand in proper relation to the, other.

If in handling documents it is found to be a disadvantage to have thecharacters thereon raised or embossed, as provided for in the deviceshown and described, thesame object of preventing fraudulent alterationsof values would still be accomplished if the embossed characters wereironed down by pressing the papers between rollers or by otherequivalent ;means,as the characters would still remain indeliblymfarkedin the mutilated and broken sizing'and fiber of the paper. Meansfor this resmoothing of the paper might be added to four device, butthey would be common and their combinations would add nothing to thevalue of our invention.

V In addition to impressing upon the paper of checks, drafts, or similardocuments char- ?acters to denote the value of said documents, as hereindescribed, the paper of any portion jof the check, draft, -&c., might beso treated by our device as to prevent alteration of the subject matterthereon or addition to or change of the characters indicating valueoriginallyimpressed.

What we claim as our invention isr I 1. Inadevice'formarkingchecks,drafts and other papers, the combination of a male die, fafemale die corresponding thereto provided with perforations extendingthrough said female die, means for forcing said dies together so thatthe sizing and fiber of an interposed ipaper will be mutilated or brokenand means for inking or coloring the broken fiber of said paper throughthe perforations of said female die. r

, :2. In a device for marking checks,drafts and other papers, thecombination of a series of jmale dies, a series of female diescorrespondjing thereto provided with perforations eX- ftending throughsaid female dies, means for 'forcing's'aid dies together so that thesizing p-and fiber of an interposed paper will be mutilated "or broken,and means for inking or coloring the broken fiber of said paper throughthe perforations of saidfemale dies.

, 3. In a device for marking checks,drafts and other'papers, thecombination of a male die, a female die corresponding thereto one ofsaid dies being provided with perforations extending through said die,means for forcing said dies together so that the sizing and fiber IIGbroken, and means for inking or coloring the broken fiber of the paperthrough the perfo rations of the die.

4. In a device for marking checks, drafts, and other papers, thecombination of a series of male dies, a series of female diescorresponding thereto one of said series being pro vided withperforations extending through the dies of said series, means forforcing said dies together so that the sizing and fiber of an interposedpaper Will be mutilated or broken, and means for inking or coloring thebroken fiber of said paper through the perforations of said dies.

5. In a device for marking checks,drafts and other papers, thecombination of a male die, a female die corresponding thereto providedwith perforations extending through said female die, means for forcingsaid dies together so that the sizing and fiber of an interposed paperwill be mutilated or broken, and means for simultaneously inking orcoloring the broken fiber of said paper through the perforations of saidfemale die.

6. In a device for marking checks, drafts, and other papers, thecombination of a series of male dies, a series of female diescorresponding thereto provided With perforations extending through saidfemale dies, means for forcing said dies together so that the sizing andfiber of an interposed paper will be mutilated or broken, and means forsimultaneously inking or coloring the broken fiber of said paper throughthe perforations of said female dies.

7. In a device for marking checks, drafts, and other papers, thecombination of a male die, a female die corresponding thereto one ofsaid dies being provided with perforations extending through said die,means for forcing said dies together so that the sizing and fiber of aninterposed paper will be mutilated or broken, and means forsimultaneously inking or coloring the broken fiber of said paper throughthe perforations of said die.

8. In a device for marking checks, drafts, and other papers, thecombination of a series of male dies, a series of female diescorresponding thereto one of said series being provided withperforations extending through the dies of said series means for forcingsaid dies together so that the sizing and fiber of an interposed paperwill be mutilated or broken, and means for simultaneously inking or 001-oring the broken fiber of said paper through the perforations of saiddies.

JOHN B. ROGERS. \VM. HAM. HALL. Witnesses to signature of John B.Rogers:

N. E. W. SMITH, WM. M. FITZHUGH. \Vitnesses to signature of YVm. Ham.I-Iall:

RoBT. MoDoWELL, O. J. SMITH.

